June 17, 2025
Solothurn Municipality of Nunningen shuts down Pegasos Swiss Association
Solothurn Municipality of Nunningen shuts down Pegasos Swiss Association according to Swiss newspaper, Blick.
The [president of] Pegasos association [Ruedi Habegger], which specialises in assisted suicide, has never received permission to build for its activities in Nunningen. This is the conclusion reached by the public works department of the canton of Solothurn.
For the past year, the Pegasos association has been assisting people from all over the world who wish to end their lives in ‘good conditions’ in Nunningen in the canton of Solothurn.
The activities in the annex of a country inn have provoked strong opposition in this municipality of nearly 2,000 inhabitants.
However, the Solothurn cantonal department of construction and justice, headed by State Councillor Sandra Kolly (Centre Party), has now decided that ‘the use of a building for end-of-life assistance requires a building permit’.
However, this decision is not yet legally binding and may be appealed to the cantonal administrative court. Furthermore, the department has not yet ruled on whether assisted dying is permitted in principle.
Municipality’s findings confirmed – Solothurn Municipality of Nunningen shuts down Pegasos Swiss Association
The Nunningen building commission had already stated in an interim decision that the Pegasos association needed a building permit.
Pegasos has left open the question of whether the assisted suicide organisation will now apply for such a permit from the municipality or whether it will challenge the cantonal building department’s decision in court.
Residents have had enough
Hundreds of people come to this Swiss village to die
Cantons and taxpayers also pay for death tourism
Thousands of francs
Taxpayers also pay for death tourism
A legal battle is likely to ensue, and Pegasos seems determined to continue assisting people who wish to die in Nunningen, even without a building permit.
This situation is all the more remarkable given that the Solothurn government had concluded an agreement with the association aimed at reducing the workload and costs associated with accompanying people at the end of their lives.
According to this agreement, Pegasos documents by means of videos that people wishing to die administer the lethal infusion themselves, so that the police do not need to be called to confirm this.
Ruedi Habegger, President of Pegasos Swiss Association